Easy Mulligan Stew Recipe (2024)

Published March 27, 2020.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Mulligan stew is a free-for-all and easy to make delicious hearty soup crammed with meat and vegetables in a tasty beef broth.

We are big-time stew and soup eaters in our house and we are often making this recipe in addition to Chicken and Wild Rice and Wedding Soup.

Mulligan Stew

This Great Depression staple was also known as “Hobo Stew.” Mulligan, being a common Irish surname, completes the recipe stew title because it’s an adaptation to a classic Irish Beef Stew.

During the depression, this catch-all meal was assembled by whatever anyone could scrounge up. Each person would be responsible for gathering an ingredient and adding it to the stew and would be shared amongst those people.

It was said that they would add the ingredients to a large coffee tin and heat it over a fire to cook it. A humble way of being able to eat, but necessary for feeding oneself.

What Kind of Meat to Use

The classic meat used in a mulligan stew would be simply beef stew meat. Some other cuts of meat that can absolutely be used in this recipe are:

• Ground Beef
• Top Round
• Sirloin
• Bottom Round
• Flank Steak
• Skirt Steak

The whole purpose of this recipe is to use what you have to make it work. Every time Mulligan stew was made during the depression it altered based on what was available and what people could afford.

My suggestion to you would be to see what cuts of meat you have in your refrigerator or freezer or find out what’s on sale at your local grocery store.

What Are the Ingredients

Mulligan stew ingredients varied, but here are some of the original items that were said to be in it.

• Beef Stew Meat
• Carrots
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Navy Beans
• Water
• Salt

The recipe over time adapted to which foods were available and if people could afford them. Some of those additional ingredients include:

• Celery
• Peas
• Corn
• Lima Beans
• Garlic
• Green Beans

Please remember to use what you have and season it well at the end with salt and pepper. You may also take this recipe one step further by adding in some dry herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, and parsley when you add in the beef stock.

Mulligan Stew With Chicken

In some of this recipe’s earliest days, there was a note in it that stated, “whoever can steal a chicken for this stew, all the better.” You can either make Mulligan stew with chicken being the main source of meat, or you can add it in with the beef. I doubled up on the protein and added chicken to my recipe and wow is it amazing.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Soup and stew will always taste better over time so make this soup up to 1 day ahead of serving it.

How to Reheat: Place your desired amount in a saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. Likewise, you can also place your desired amount into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until hot.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.

More Hearty Soup Recipes

• Split Pea
• Zuppa Toscana
• Pasta E fa*gioli
• Chicken Dumpling Soup
• Matzo Ball

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